Bill to combat prescription drug abuse becomes law

Thursday

Feb 20, 2014 at 5:20 PM

The bill aimed at reducing illegal prescription drug diversion drafted by Attorney General Beau Biden's office and sponsored by two registered nurses was enacted this week when Governor Jack Markell signed the measure into law.

Staff Reports

The bill aimed at reducing illegal prescription drug diversion drafted by Attorney General Beau Biden's office and sponsored by two registered nurses was enacted this week when Governor Jack Markell signed the measure into law.

House Bill 154, sponsored by Representative Rebecca Walker, D-Townsend, and Senator Bethany Hall-Long, D-Middletown, strengthens efforts to ensure that patients’ medications are not diverted by healthcare workers, patient family members, and others. The bill also creates a new criminal offense of “medication diversion” that applies to anyone who intentionally diverts prescription narcotics from patients who are under the care of a healthcare program in medical or other 24-hour facilities such as hospitals, group homes, or nursing homes.

HB 154 is part of a two-bill package that Biden, Hall-Long and Walker introduced last spring to increase the state’s efforts to fight prescription drug abuse.